


Alignment

by DictionaryWrites



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Backrubs, Complicated Relationships, Kink Discovery, M/M, Massage, Power Dynamics, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 12:02:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20994503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DictionaryWrites/pseuds/DictionaryWrites
Summary: Bull wants to have a look at Solas' sore shoulders.





	Alignment

“Hey, Solas,” said the Iron Bull, and Solas glanced up from their requisition paperwork. It was warm out here in the Emerald Graves, a pleasant humidity heating the air, and he felt comfortable in it, delighted to relax beneath its pleasant weight. He only had the last of the requisition papers to do, whilst Lavellan was on the other side of camp, teaching a fascinated – and clueless – Pavus how to skin a nug.

“The Iron Bull,” Solas said politely.

“Take off your shirt for me, would ya?”

Solas did not blink. He did not allow any reaction to show in his face as he met Bull’s gaze – the Iron Bull, who was smiling beatifically, as though he had not just asked Solas, apropos of naught at all, to disrobe in the middle of camp.

The Iron Bull had, of course, been making the rounds of Skyhold. He flirted with the Seeker, Master Tethras, Altus Pavus; he had his back-and-forth with Lavellan, smug whenever Lavellan complimented him; he sparred with Commander Rutherford and played with the Templars. He’d taken various serving girls and stable boys into his bed – it seemed he never slept in it alone, if it could be avoided, not that he seemed to sleep at all.

“The Iron Bull,” Solas said, tone even, “whilst I am more than flattered, for reasons innumerable, I don’t want to have sex with you.”

“Hey,” Bull said. “I don’t want to have sex with you either!”

Solas arched an eyebrow.

“Well,” Bull said, grin widening. He had sharp teeth. “I wouldn’t say no. But no, that isn’t what this is about. I want to have a look at your back.”

“My back?”

“Looks sore.”

“It isn’t.”

“Lemme see.”

“With your eyes?”

“I’ll use my hands.”

“Is that how a Qunari sees?”

“What’s underneath? Yeah.”

“No.”

“Solas,” Bull said, taking a step forward, so that Solas was in his shadow, and Solas remained in his place. “Don’t make me go to the boss.”

“Oh, I see,” Solas said. “If I won’t obey your orders, I might obey his?”

It was Bull’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“See, I don’t think it’s about orders,” he said. “I think he’ll say _pretty please_ in Elvish, maybe ask you for some stories about the Fade, and then you’ll do what he says.”

“Why not cut out the middleman, if I am so easy to tug one way or another? Can’t _you_ say pretty please in Elvish, Bull? Is all that Ben-Hassrath intelligence for naught?”

“Ache’s right in the shoulder blades, either side of your spine, right?” Bull asked. “Guess it chills out once you sleep, but once you get halfway through the day, it comes right back?”

“A normal fatigue for any mage,” Solas said. “My posture is—”

“Your posture’s great,” Bull agreed. “But you need maintenance. Lemme get at it.”

“No,” Solas said.

“Fine,” Bull said, and left it, for the time being.

\--

It was when they were back at Skyhold that Bull came to Solas’ office in the middle of the night, flexing his muscles, as half-dressed as ever. Solas did not look up from his desk, instead remaining in his place, leaning forward from his stool and working on his paper.

When Bull’s hands landed on his shoulders, gently alighting there, Solas set his jaw and turned his head to growl at Bull to desist, but Bull dragged his fingers down either side of Solas’ spine, pressing on the muscle in his shoulders and applying hard pressure as he went. Solas straightened, hissing, and he felt the cords of muscle shift in their places, sharp, knotted pain giving way to an abrupt relief of tension.

Solas inhaled.

“Hey, Solas,” Bull said, sounding amused. “Take off your shirt.”

“And why is it, Bull, that you are so intent on the state of my back?” Solas demanded, his fingers flat on the desk. He wanted Bull’s hands to continue, rather than just resting pleasantly on his shoulders, wanted more of those quick-shifting, untangling fingers, soothing the many knots that corded in his back – how long had it been, since someone had touched him like this? A long time. “Forgive me if I am not keen on the idea that you wish to massage my shoulders merely that you might dwell on my response when alone.”

“Hey, I’m not doing this just so I can jerk off over it later, big guy,” Bull said. “You never fucking take a break. I’d rather fix your shoulders now rather than watch you injure them later.” He leaned in a little closer, applying surprisingly pleasant pressure to Solas’ shoulders as he squeezed with his great, calloused hands, two fingers missing on one side, and said directly into Solas’ ear, “The noise you make when I touch you like this _is_ hot, but that’s just an added bonus.”

Solas felt a twist in his belly, a sort of sudden lurch, and he felt heat sing under the skin of his cheeks.

He wasn’t attracted to men. He _certainly_ wasn’t attracted to Qunari, least of all to the Iron Bull.

And yet, there was a sort of dazzling appeal, in the idea of Bull in his own bed, later, his hand going from Solas’ back to his own—

“Fine,” Solas said.

“_Yeah_,” Bull said, and when Solas went for the fastening on his shirt, Bull let out a growl that Solas was not going to allow himself to think about in-depth.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to hit up [my ask on Tumblr,](http://patricianandclerk.tumblr.com/ask) to talk about DA in general, and definitely to recommend blogs to follow! I am open for requests (for Origins, II, and Inq). I also run a no-drama Dragon Age Discord, which [you can join here.](https://discordapp.com/invite/ttgP5v8) Please comment if you can!


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